Category «Writing Thoughts»

book and dagger Guys, I’m writer, yeah? Thing is, you’re probably here because of my books – to see what I’ve written, find extras, or sign up for my newsletter. Therefore, you’re probably not that concerned with my writing process and my thoughts on writing in general.

Or, maybe you are.

I’d like to think someone cares, so that’s why I’ve added these posts to my website. All the posts below are about writing. There’s some info about the Chess series and about writing it, but nothing that really enhances the world. For that info check out:

Blurbs…fun, fun, fun

To write is human, to blurb is divine? More like: to write is fun, to blub is frustrating. Although, I’ve figured it out – for now at least.

I’m not a copywriter by any stretch of the imagination. (I didn’t even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night). I’ve read a couple of books, read a lot, lot, lot of blurbs, and done my best. The only thing I can say definitively is that as of now (May 8, 2002), my “final” versions are better than the initial ones.

To be honest, I was majorly stressing myself out over this and writing blurbs was a horrible experience. I was full of angst and worried that I wasn’t being perfect. Then – light blub moment. I’m an indie author. Who the heck says this has to be the final, final blurb? I can change it later, right?

Some thoughts on writing male characters

In order to write male characters, and especially sex between two male characters, ones needs to do some research.

Warning: This post discusses observations from investigating a pornography site and a scientific study of sexual behavior. If either of these topics doesn’t appeal to you, or you may find them offensive, please don’t read this article.

Also, at the end of the post, I go on a bit of a rant. Be prepared.

Phrasing I vow to stay away from

One of the difficult parts of writing sex scenes is choosing which words to use. There are plenty of slang words that sound ridiculous, and others that hit the mark. Then, there are those words that some writers and readers like, but I personally don’t.

Fanfiction to original fiction…

I started out writing as a kid. When I got to the point where I was sharing my work with the wide public via the internet, it was in the form of fanfiction. This continued up to fanfiction for the BBC series The Musketeers. At which point I switched to writing original fiction exclusively. Here I share some rambling thoughts about that journey, as well as thoughts specifically on how the core idea of fanfiction exploded into a fantasy world with over 15 books.

On Being a Writing Pantser

If you’ve looking into how to write fiction, you’ve heard the terms pantser and plotter. Pantser being someone who writes “by the seat of their pants” by just seeing where the story goes. A plotter being someone who maps out the story before writing it.

I started out as a pantser. When I couldn’t finish anything I switched to being a plotter. At this point, I’m back to being a pantser with a sprinkling of very light outlining here and there. Here I ramble a bit about what I experienced on this part of my writing journey.

What is a writer?

There are two words generally used to describe those that tell stories: Writers and Authors. But what’s the difference? And where do I fit? My thoughts on the topic as well as some confessions about the state of my publishing.